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P3D v4 Spot light direction

arno

arno

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Hi,

I'm working on making sure MCX correctly handles effects and lights in a next update (also FS2004 landing lights and such).

I have a question for P3D developers, when you make a spot light (dynamic light) in 3ds max as an attached effect, along which axis does the light shine?

At the moment it's the y axis in MCX, but I'm not sure if that is correct.
 
I took my FSX DC-7 and converted it in MCX to P3D 4.4 using the DEV release. The resulting landing lights are 90 deg. off from the FSX model. When the FSX model's lights are facing straight down, the P3D model's lights are pointing straight forward.

Hope this helps,
 
Hi Arno,
Not being a P3D developer I can't answer your question directly but I can add this.

When importing an FS9 model to MCX to convert landing lights that are attached to animations need to have the X axis set to -90 to get them to point the correct way. Lights that are attached to the main model seem fine.

Not sure if this helps.

Gavin
 
Thanks, I was not really talking about the aircraft lights, but more the dynamic spot lights that can be added in scenery since P3D v4. These use a different effect type as far as I know.

I'm wondering how people define them in 3ds max. Using mcx as reference might not be best, as I might have implemented it wrong now.

When I comes to the fs2004 landing lights, I think I have them working now in mcx. I tested yesterday with exporting the default c182 and the lights were still in the same direction. in the mcx preview the landing light is now pointing in the -Y direction.
 
Hi again,

Keep in mind that the 90 degree offset problem is not limited to FS9 (see above for an FSX to P3D conversion). But perhaps if you fixed it for FS9 that will fix it for FSX and beyond.
 
I will push the improvements I have made to the development release soon and then we'll see if things have improved in all situations :)
 
tgibson said:
Hi again,

Keep in mind that the 90 degree offset problem is not limited to FS9 (see above for an FSX to P3D conversion). But perhaps if you fixed it for FS9 that will fix it for FSX and beyond.
Click to expand...
this 90 degree offset problem is also affecting gltf objects with attached lights blender exported; when saved from mcx; the lights cone will not point any more vertically to the ground.
 
seattledec said:
this 90 degree offset problem is also affecting gltf objects with attached lights blender exported; when saved from mcx; the lights cone will not point any more vertically to the ground.
Click to expand...
OK, I'll have to check that as well then. I have been hesitating from testing MSFS export as well, as I do not fancy to first wait to all the MSFS updates to install again.
 
The new development release with the (hopefully) improved light orientation should be online in about 30 minutes.
 
arno said:
The new development release with the (hopefully) improved light orientation should be online in about 30 minutes.
Click to expand...
Thanks Arno;
Tested new dev release 1.7.0 0; simple blender spot light; cone show upside down when loaded in mcx 1.7.00

Tested also on a older 1.6.0.0 mcx version; working as it should.

attached test files
 

Attachments

Thanks, I haven't tested in MSFS yet. Guess I need to make some changes to the glTF reader/writer as well.
 
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